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PERSONAL    NARRATIVES 


OP    EVENTS    IN    THE 


War  of  The  Rebellion, 


No.   3.      Segonu    Sl'.RIES. 


BATTERY    F, 


FIRST  RHODE  ISLAND  LIGHT  ARTILLERY. 


PHILIP  s.  chase: 


STEPHEN  B.  WEEKS 

CLASS  OF  1886;  PH.D.  THE  JOHNS  HOPKINS  UNIVERSITY 


OF  THE 


IE  WEEKS  COLLECTKDN 

OF 


ipmi+*,-ctf£'P- 


PERSONAL  NARRATIVES 


OP  EVENTS  IN   THE 


War  of  the  Rebellion, 

BEING  PAPERS  READ  BEFORE  THE 

RHODE  ISLAND  SOLDIERS  AND  SAILORS 
HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 

No.  3.  .  .  .  Second  Series. 


PROVIDENCE  : 
N.     BANGS     WILLIAMS     &     CO. 

1880. 


Copyrighted  by 

N.     BANGS    WILLIAMS. 

1880. 


ORGANIZATION  AND  SERVICE 

OF 

BATTERY   F, 

FIRST  RHODE  ISLAND  LIGHT  ARTILLERY, 

TO    JANUARY    1st,    1863. 
BY  PHILIP  S.    CHASE, 

[LATE   SECOND  LIEUTENANT  EATTEBT  F,   FIEST    REGIMENT    RHODE    ISLAND 
LIGHT    ARTILLERY.] 


PROVIDENCE  : 
N .     BANGS     WILLIAMS     &     CO. 

1880. 


Copyrighted  b}- 

N:    BANGS    WILLIAMS. 

1880. 


PRINTED   BY   E.    L.    FEEEMAN   *   CO. 


ORGANIZATION  AND  SERVICE 

OF 

BATTERY    F, 
FIRST  RHODE  ISLAND  LIGHT  ARTILLERY, 

TO  JANUARY  1st,  1863. 


[Read  before  the  Society,  March  20,  1878.] 


Battery  F,  First  Rhode  Island  Light  Artillery, 
known  at  the  time  as  the  Seventh  Rhode  Island 
Battery,  and  better  known  in  the  field  as  "  Belger's 
Battery,"  was  recruited  mainly  during  the  month 
of  October,  1861.  The  rendezvous  during  the  or- 
ganization was  "  Camp  Perry,"  located  on  the  west 
bank  of  Mashapaug  pond,  Cranston,  Rhode  Island. 

Three  recruiting  excursions  visited  different  parts 
of  the  State  while  the  battery  was  in  course  of 
organization.  The  first,  consisting  of  one  section, 
two    guns,   with   men    and   horses,   commanded   by 


6  ORGANIZATION   AND   SERVICE   OF   BATTERY   F, 

Lieutenant  Thomas  Simpson,  visited  the  villages  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  State,  going  as  far  as  Woon- 
socket.  I  was  assigned  to  this  command  as  a  private, 
and  received  my  first  instruction  in  light  artillery 
service  at  this  time.  The  second  excursion  con- 
sisted of  one  gun  and  caisson,  fully  manned.  This 
detachment,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Simpson  also, 
visited  the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  viz.,  Warren, 
Bristol,  Tiverton,  Portsmouth  and  Little  Compton. 
I  was  assigned  to  this  command  as  corporal  or  gun- 
ner. To  partially  illustrate  the  popular  feeling  at 
the  time,  some  of  the  experiences  of  this  trip  are 
here  given. 

Leaving  Camp  Perry  Tuesday,  October  22d,  1861, 
the  command  marched  to  Warren,  Rhode  Island,  and 
encamped.  Wednesday  it  proceeded  to  Bristol  and 
encamped  on  the  "  Common."  Salutes  were  fired 
and  an  exhibition  drill  given,  including  dismounting 
and  mounting  of  guns  and  carriages,  which  was 
witnessed  by  a  large  and  enthusiastic  gathering. 
Thursday  afternoon  we  proceeded  on  our  journey, 
passing  through  Fall  River,  Massachusetts,  and  en- 
camped that  night  in  the  suburbs  of  that  city,  on  the 


FIRST   RHODE   ISLAND    LIGHT   ARTILLERY.  i 

Rhode  Island  side  of  the  line.  The  night  was  bitter 
cold,  and  not  being  prepared  for  unusual  weather, 
we  had  our  first  experience  in  camp  life  under  unfa- 
vorable circumstances.  Some  of  the  residents  of  that 
vicinity,  upon  viewing  their  fences  and  wood-piles 
the  next  morning,  were  no  doubt  very  grateful  that 
our  orders  prevented  us  from  stopping  with  them 
longer.  Friday  morning  we  marched  to  Portsmouth, 
arriving  at  the  village  of  Newtown  about  noon,  where 
the  command  was  sumptuously  entertained  by  the 
town  clerk  at  his  residence.  At  night  we  encamped 
in  "  Fort  Butts,"  an  extensive  earthwork  of  revolu- 
tionary times,  located  on  a  hill  about  one  and  a  half 
miles  southerly  from  Bristol  Ferry.  The  memory 
of  scenes  enacted  on  this  spot,  served  to  increase 
the  patriotism  of  our  little  band  and  strengthen  the 
determination  to  do  all  in  our  power  for  the  preser- 
vation of  the  country  in  its  time  of  peril.  (The  cen- 
tennial anniversary  of  the  Battle  of  Rhode  Island, 
which  occurs  August  twenty-ninth  of  this  year,  is  to 
be  observed  at  this  fort.)  Saturday  morning  we  pro- 
ceeded to  Tiverton  Four  Corners,  where  we  were 
again  entertained,  this  time  by  Holder  N.  Wilcox, 


8  ORGANIZATION    AND    SERVICE   OF   BATTERY   F, 

Esquire,  at  his  residence.  Two  of  his  sons  afterwards 
became  members  of  the  battery,  one  of  whom  was 
severely  wounded.  After  firing  the  usual  salute, 
the  command  proceeded  to  "  Little  Compton  Com- 
mons," pitched  the  tents  and  prepared  to  spend 
Sunday  with  the  people'  of  that  village.  In  the 
evening  we  were  taken  to  the  Town  Hall,  where  a 
fine  collation  was  served. 

I  think  it  was  the  intention  of  Lieutenant  Simpson 
to  visit  Newport  before  returning  to  Camp  Perry, 
but  orders  received  Sunday  afternoon  to  return  at 
once  to  Providence,  prevented,  and  we  were  obliged 
to  disturb  the  quiet  of  a  Sunday  afternoon  in  the 
country,  by  immediately  breaking  camp  and  com- 
mencing the  return  march.  The  command  arrived 
in  Swanzey  that  night,  just  after  the  close  of  the 
evening  meetings,  and  obtaining  permission,  pick- 
eted the  horses  in  a  church  yard,  and  the  men  oc- 
cupied the  church  as  barracks.  The  detachment 
reached  Camp  Perry  Monday,  October  twenty-eighth, 
and  as  there  were  men  in  the  battery  from  the  places 
visited,  I  presume  the  expedition  was  successful  in 
its  object. 


FIRST    RHODE    ISLAND    LIGHT    ARTILLERY.  9 

The  third  excursion  visited  the  western  part  of 
the  State,  but  I  am  not  able  to  give  the  particulars 
of  the  trip. 

The  battery  was  ordered  to  Washington  in  two 
detachments,  the  first  leaving  Providence  Monday, 
October  28th,  1861,  the  second  following  on  Tuesday, 
the  twenty-ninth.  The  routes  taken  were  Stoning- 
ton  Line  to  New  York,  Camden  and  Amboy  Railroad 
to  Philadelphia,  and  by  rail  via  Baltimore  to  Wash- 
ington. I  was  assigned  to  the  second  detachment, 
which  reached  Camp  Sprague  during  the  evening 
of  Thursday,  October  thirty-first. 

The  battery  was  mustered  into  the  United  States 
service  at  Camp  Perry,  October  twenty- eighth.  The 
original  officers  were  :  Captain,  Miles  G.  Moies ;  First 
Lieutenants,  Charles  H.  Pope  and  George  W.  Field  ; 
Second  Lieutenants,  Thomas  Simpson  and  William  A. 
Arnold.  The  names  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
enlisted  men  appear  upon  the  roll. 

Captain  Moies  resigned  his  commission  about  the 
twelfth  of  November,  1861,  leaving  First  Lieutenant 
Pope  in  command  until  the  arrival,  on  the  twenty- 
second  of  November,  of  Captain  James  Belger,  who 


10    ORGANIZATION  AND  SERVICE  OF  BATTERY  F, 

had  been  commissioned  in  the  regiment  and  assigned 
to  Battery  F. 

Captain  Belger  was  an  old  soldier,  having  served 
ten  years  in  the  United  States  Army  in  the  First 
Artillery,  eight  years  of  which  time  he  was  sergeant 
and  first  sergeant  of  Magruder's  Battery,  and  seven 
years  of  the  service  was  in  California,  Arizona,  New 
Mexico  and  Texas,  against  Indians.  At  the  first 
battle  of  Bull  Bun,  July  21st,  1861,  he  was  chief  of 
the  right  piece,  left  section,  Ricketts'  Battery.  He 
was  honorably  discharged  from  the  First  United 
States  Artillery,  at  Poolsville,  Maryland,  September 
28th,  1861,  by  reason  of  expiration  of  term  of  ser- 
vice. His  appointment  as  Captain  in  the  First 
Rhode  Island  Light  Artillery  dates  from  October 
17th,  1861,  and  he  was  mustered  out  of  service  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  December  30th,  1864,  by  virtue 
of  the  following  Special  Order : 


Special  Orders,  ) 
No.  474-       f 


FIRST   RHODE   ISLAND   LIGHT   ARTILLERY.  11 

"War  Department, 

Adjutant  General's  Office, 

Washington,  December  30,  1864. 


[Extract.] 


10.  Under  the  provisions  of  General  Orders  No.  108,  April 
28th,  1863,  from  this  office,  Captain  James  Belyer,  First  Rhode 
Island  Light  Artillery,  an  escaped  prisoner  of  war,  is  hereby 
mustered  out  and  honorably  discharged  the  service  of  the 
United  States. 

#  #  #  #  *  #  # 

By  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 

(Signed)  E.  D.  TOWNSEND, 

Assistant  Adjutant  General." 

Soon  after  the  arrival  of  Captain  Belger  the  bat- 
tery was  supplied  with  four  ten-pounder  Parrott 
guns,  two  twelve-pounder  howitzers,  and  a  full  com- 
plement of  horses. 

The  captain  had  very  decided  opinions  of  disci- 
pline, and  at  once  commenced  the  work  of  placing 
the  battery  in  a  state  of  proficiency  in  drill,  etc.,  for 
effective  work. 

I  well  remember  an  incident  that  occurred  Thanks- 
giving day,  1861.     It  impressed  upon  my  mind  the 


12    ORGANIZATION  AND  SERVICE  OF  BATTERY  F, 

position  I  occupied  as  an  enlisted  man  in  the  United 
States  service.  A  large  number  of  requests  for 
passes  to  visit  Washington  were  handed  to  the  cap- 
tain in  the  morning,  one  from  myself  being  among 
the  number.  A  comparatively  small  number  were 
granted,  and  a  few  of  us  who  felt  somewhat  mad  at 
being  refused,  and  not  having  the  fear  of  Uncle  Sam's 
veterans  before  our  eyes,  determined  to  visit  the  city 
without  the  necessary  papers.  We  passed  the  camp 
guard,  reached  the  city  and  had  visited  some  of  the 
places  of  public  interest,  when  passing  down  Penn- 
sylvania avenue  we  were  halted  by  a  squad  of  armed 
men  who  demanded  to  see  our  passes.  I  had  heard 
of  the  guard  house,  and  had  no  desire  to  be  placed 
there,  as  in  addition  to  a  feeling  of  mortification,  I 
was  sure  to  lose  my  position  as  corporal  or  gunner 
of  the  second  piece  if  returned  to  camp  under  guard. 
But  one  of  our  number  was  equal  to  the  emergency, 
replying  to  the  demand  that  "  our  colonel  was  com- 
ing, and  had  them."  While  waiting  with  the  guard 
for  "  our  colonel,"  a  soldier  who  had  been  imbibing 
too  freely  of  "  commissary  "  appeared,  and  while  the 
guard  was  occupied  in  attending  to  his  case,  we 


FIRST    RHODE    ISLAND    LIGHT    ARTILLERY.  13 

waited  for  "  our  colonel "  no  longer,  but  immediately 
made  our  way  back  to  camp.  A  year  later  I  doubt 
if  a  provost  guard  could  have  been  prevailed  upon 
to  wait  long  for  such  a  purpose.  The  captain  had 
learned  of  our  absence  without  leave,  and  summoned 
us  to  headquarters,  where,  in  the  presence  of  the 
officers  of  the  battery,  he  administered  a  reprimand 
in  language  not  to  be  forgotten,  and  from  that  time 
forward  I  understood  that  one  of  the  duties  of  a  cor- 
poral was  to  obey  his  superior  officers,  and  never 
attempt  to  leave  camp  without  the  required  pass. 

The  battery  remained  at  Camp  Sprague  until  the 
second  day  of  December,  1861,  when  it  crossed  Long- 
Bridge  and  many  of  us  stood  for  the  first  time  upon 
the  "  sacred  soil  of  Virginia."  Passing  through  Alex- 
andria, we  pitched  our  tents  at  Camp  California, 
General  Sumner's  Division,  located  if  I  remember 
correctly,  to  the  left  and  in  advance  of  Fort  Worth, 
near  Cloud's  Mills. 

While  at  Camp  California,  the  sound  of  the  "  long- 
roll"  and  "  boots  and  saddles"  at  night,  greeted  us  for 
the  first  time  December  18th,  1861.  All  was  excite- 
ment, although  there  was  no  confusion,  and  the  short 
a 


14 


time  occupied  in  hitching  up  and  moving  out  on  the 
road,  prepared  for  what  might  be  required  of  us,  was 
very«satisfactory  to  the  officers.  We  moved  to  the 
front  and  took  position  on  Edsall's  Hill,  so  called,  and 
remained  in  position  there  until  morning,  when  we 
returned  to  camp,  having  neither  seen  nor  heard 
of  an  enemy. 

December  21st,  1861,  in  compliance  with  the  fol- 
lowing order : 

"  Headquarters  Army  of  the  Potomac, 

Washington,  December  20,  1861. 
Special  Orders,  ) 
No.  193.       ) 

*  #  *  #         .    *  *  # 

HI.  Battery  F,  Rhode  Island  Light  Artillery,  Captain  Belgei; 
is  assigned  to  Burnside's  Division,  which  it  will  proceed  to  join 
at  Annapolis,  Maryland,  without  delay.  The  Quartermaster's 
Department  will  furnish  the  necessary  transportation. 

■x  *  *  #  *  *  # 

By  command  of  Major  General  McCleli.ajn, 

(Signed)  S.  WILLIAMS, 

Assistant  Adjutant  General. 
Official. 

Alex.  S.  Webb, 

Major  and  Assistant  to  Chief  of  Artillery." 


FIRST    RHODE    ISLAND    LIGHT    ARTILLERY.  15 

The  battery  left  Camp  California  and  returned  to 
Washington,  bivouacking  that  night  near  the  unfin- 
ished Washington  Monument.  On  the  march  through 
Alexandria  occurred  the  first  serious  casualty,  viz : 
the  horse  which  blacksmith  Joseph  L.  Straight  was 
riding,  took  fright,  ran,  and  throwing  the  blacksmith, 
injured  him  so  severely  as  to  necessitate  leaving  him 
in  the  hospital  at  Alexandria,  and  finally  causing  his 
discharge  from  the  service,  April  29th,  1862. 

The  next  day,  Sunday,  December  twenty-second, 
the  battery  was  loaded  on  cars  and  taken  to  Annap- 
olis, Maryland.  Arriving  early  in  the  evening,  we 
were  quartered  in  tents  that  had  been  pitched  for 
practice,  on  the  Naval  Academy  grounds.  The  men 
being  very  tired,  for  loading  and  unloading  a  six  gun 
battery  from  cars  was  hard  work,  anticipated  a  good 
night's  rest;  but  during  the  night,  a  severe  storm 
of  wind  and  rain  arose,  and  man}'  of  the  tents — they 
having  been  pitched  for  practice,  the  pins  were 
driven  very  lightly — blew  down ;  consequently,  in- 
stead of  the  expected  rest,  they  spent  the  greater 
part  of  the  night  hunting  for  a  dry  spot.  The  next 
day  we  were  quartered  in  a  college  building,  where 


16    ORGANIZATION  AND  SERVICE  OF  BATTERY  F, 

we  remained  uutil  the  twenty-sixth  of  December, 
when  the  battery  went  into  camp  about  one  and  a 
half  miles  from  Annapolis,  naming  the  spot  in  honor 
of  the  Captain,  Camp  Belger. 

January  9th,  1862,  we  returned  to  Annapolis  for 
the  purpose  of  embarking  on  the  Burnside  Expedi- 
tion. Arriving  in  the  city  during  the  evening,  we 
were  again  assigned  to  the  tents  on  the  Academy 
grounds,  and  the  scenes  of  our  previous  attempted 
occupancy  of  those  tents  were  re-enacted,  viz :  a 
hundred  men  looking  for  shelter,  owing  to  a  heavy 
storm  of  wind  and  rain. 

The  next  day,  January  tenth,  the  battery  em- 
barked—  the  men  and  horses  on  steamer  George 
Peabody,  and  the  pieces,  battery  wagon,  forge,  etc., 
on  schooner  James  T.  Brady.  The  Reverend  Mr. 
Woodbury,  in  his  "  Burnside  and  the  Ninth  Army 
Corps,"  gives  the  strength  of  the  command  at "  twelve 
thousand  men,  requiring  for  their  transportation  forty  - 
six  vessels,  eleven  of  which  were  steamers.  There 
were  also  nine  armed  propellers  as  gunboats,  and  five 
barges  fitted  and  armed  as  floating  batteries,  carry- 
ing  altogether   forty-seven    guns,   mostly   of  small 


FIRST    RHODE    ISLAND    LIGHT    ARTILLERY.  17 

calibre.  A  fleet  of  twenty  vessels,  mostly  of  light 
draft  but  carrying  a  heavy  armament  of  fifty-five 
guns,  under  command  of  Flag  Officer  L.  M.  Golds- 
borough,  accompanied  the  expedition." 

The  George  Peabody  sailed  from  Annapolis  on  the 
morning  of  the  eleventh  of  January,  and  from  For- 
tress Monroe  the  next  day.  When  off  Cape  Henry 
the  sealed  orders  were  opened,  and  we  learned  that 
the  rendezvous  of  the  fleet  was  Hatteras  Inlet,  North 
Carolina.  The  passage  from  Fortress  Monroe  to 
Hatteras  was  attended  by  very  rough  weather,  and 
the  scenes  on  board  the  Peabody  partook  somewhat 
of  the  ludicrous  as  well  as  the  serious.  Most  of  the 
men  of  the  battery  were  taking  their  first  sea  voyage, 
and  their  condition  can  better  be  imagined  than 
described. 

The  flagship  of  the  expedition,  gunboat  Picket, 
Captain  Thomas  P.  Ives,  sailed  from  Fortress  Mon- 
roe, with  General  Burnside  on  board,  about  an  hour 
in  advance  of  the  'Peabody,  and  when  we  arrived  off 
Hatteras,  about  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the 
thirteenth,  the  latter  overhauled  her.  A  heavy  sea 
was  running,  the  beginning  of  the  storm  which  scat- 


18         ORGANIZATION    AND    SERVICE    OP    BATTERY  F, 

tered  the  fleet,  and  it  was  deemed  prudent  for  our 
vessel  to  lay  by  the  Picket  until  daylight,  before 
attempting  to  round  the  cape.  I  shall  never  forget 
the  noble  appearance  of  the  general  as  he  stood  upon 
the  forward  deck  of  the  gunboat  in  the  early  morning 
of  the  thirteenth,  while  the  crew  of  the  Peabody  were 
passing  a  line  to  the  Picket  to  take  her  in  tow.  Our 
men,  or  as  many  as  were  able  to  get  upon  their  feet, 
were  drawn  up  in  line  on  the  deck  of  the  Peabody, 
and  gave  him  three  hearty  cheers. 

Taking  the  Picket  in  tow,  both  vessels  arrived  at 
the  inlet  in  safety,  crossed  the  bar  and  came  to 
anchor  in  the  sound.  We  all  remember  the  terrible 
storm  that  caused  so  much  damage  to  the  fleet,  and 
so  much  anxiety  for  its  safety  at  the  north.  Quoting 
again  from  Mr.  Woodbury,  "  the  steamer  City  of  New 
York,  loaded  with  ammunition,  the  Pocahontas  with 
horses  on  board,  went  ashore  and  were  lost ;  the  gun- 
boat Zouave  dragged  her  anchors  and  was  wrecked  ; 
the  floating  battery  Grapeshot  was  swamped,  and 
one  or  two  schooners  loaded  with  forage  and  provis- 
ions were  driven  upon  the  beach." 

Owing  to  the  terrible  gales  and  storms,  the  battery 


FIRST    RHODE    ISLAND    LIGHT    ARTILLERY.  19 

remained  on  board  the  steamer  much  longer  than  was 
intended  or  provided  for,  and  it  being  impossible  to 
replenish  our  commissary  department,  rations  and 
water,  also  forage  for  the  horses,  were  getting  to  be 
very  limited  in  quantity,  and  necessarily  both  men 
and  horses  were  placed  upon  short  rations,  the  allow- 
ance for  the  men  being  a  few  hard  tack,  a  half  pint 
of  water  three  times  daily, — the  water  being  meas- 
ured as  carefully  as  if  it  was  one  of  the  most  expen- 
sive luxuries  of  a  soldier's  ration, — and  occasionally 
a  small  ration  of  coffee. 

I  remember  the  first  issue  of  rations  after  the  stock 
had  been  replenished.  I  received  the  usual  hard 
tack,  a  thick  slice  of  raw  salt  pork,  very  fat,  and  a 
little  molasses.  I  think  I  never  enjoyed  a  meal  more 
than  I  did  that  raw  pork  aDd  molasses. 

On  the  twenty-first  of  January,  the  Peabody 
steamed  as  near  the  sbore  as  possible, — there  were 
no  landing  places  that  she  could  reach, — and  the 
battery  disembarked  on  Hatteras  Island.  It  was  a 
very  laborious  task,  and  was  accomplished  without 
accident  by  throwing  the  horses  overboard  and  tow- 


20         ORGANIZATION    AND    SERVICE    OF    BATTERY    F, 

ing  them  ashore  astern  of  small  boats,  with  heaving 
lines. 

While  on  Hatteras  the  battery  was  attached  to 
General  Thomas  Williams'  Brigade,  composed  of 
troops  who  had  held  possession  of  the  island  since 
its  capture  by  General  Butler  in  August,  1861,  and 
was  located  at  Camp  Winfield,  about  three  miles 
from  Fort  Hatteras.  Our  duties  at  this  camp  were 
comparatively  light.  Occasionally  General  Williams 
held  a  brigade  drill,  which  always  included  the 
battery. 

We  remained  at  Camp  Winfield  until  the  twenty- 
sixth  of  February,  at  which  time  orders  were  received 
to  re-embark.  The  night  of  the  twenty-sixth  was 
spent  on  the  beach  at  the  inlet.  A  heavy  storm  of 
rain  and  wind  prevailed,  and  being  almost  without 
shelter,  for  it  was  impossible  to  pitch  a  tent  that 
would  withstand  the  force  of  the  wind,  it  was  a  very 
uncomfortable  night.  On  the  twenty-seventh  we 
embarked  on  the  steamer  Chancellor  Livingston,  for- 
merly a  ferry  boat  in  New  York  harbor,  steamed  over 
the  swash  and  came  to  anchor  in  the  sound.  The 
wind  blew  furiously  during  the  night.     The  steamer 


FIRST    RHODE    ISLAND    LIGHT    ARTILLERY.  21 

was  heavily  loaded,  and  the  sea  struck  her  with  such 
force  under  the  guards  that  it  seemed  almost  impos- 
sible for  her  to  withstand  the  battering.  A  leak  was 
discovered  early  in  the  evening,  and  water  made  so 
rapidly  that  it  became  necessary  to  work  the  pumps 
all  night,  reliefs  from  the  men  of  the  battery  being 
organized  for  that  purpose. 

The  steamer  arrived  off  Pork  Point,  Roanoke  Is- 
land, March  second.  The  crowded  condition  of  men 
and  horses  was  such  as  to  cause  the  following  letter 
to  headquarters.  Those  familiar  with  the  amount  of 
room  required  for  a  light  battery  of  six  guns  fully 
equipped,  will  appreciate  our  condition,  everything 
being  on  board  this  steamer. 

"  Headquarters  Battery  F,  1st  Regt.  R.  I.  Lt.  Art'y, 
Steamer  Chancellor  Livingston, 

Roanoke  Island,  March  4.  1862. 
Captain  L.  Richmond, 

Assistant  Adjutant  General, 

Department  of  North  Carolina: 
Sir: — I  have  the  honor  to  request  that  measures  be  taken  as 
soon  as  possible  to  relieve  the  men  and  horses  of  my  battery, 
now  aboard  the  'Livingston.'  My  men  are  suffering  for  the 
want  of  a  place  to  sleep  and  cook  in;  my  horses,  one  hundred 
and  nineteen,  for  the  want  of  forage  and  a  place  to  stand.     I 


22 


rendered  requisitions  to  the  Division  Quartermaster  for  forage 
yesterday,  and  it  has  not  been  supplied.     It  is  very  necessary 
that  something  should  be  done  at  once,  or  my  men  and  horses 
will  be  unfit  for  active  service  if  kept  aboard  this  steamer. 
I  am,  Sir, 

Very  respectful^'. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

JAS.   BELGER, 
Captain  Commanding  Battery  F." 

As  a  result  of  the  above  letter,  a  number  of  the 
men  and  horses  were  ordered  on  shore,  where  they 
remained  until  the  eleventh  of  March,  when  they 
were  ordered  on  board  the  schooner  Crocker,  which 
was  taken  in  tow,  and  we  returned  through  the 
sound.  Entering  the  mouth  of  the  Neuse  river  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  twelfth,  it  was  evident  we  were 
going  to  New  Berne,  North  Carolina.  The  passage 
of  the  fleet  through  the  sound  and  up  the  Neuse 
river  on  the  twelfth,  was  a  delightful  trip.  The 
weather  was  warm  and  pleasant,  the  sea  calm,  and 
the  disposition  of  the  vessels,  the  gunboats  in  ad- 
vance occasionally  throwing  a  shell  into  the  woods 
on  either  side  of  the  river,  and  the  transports  fol- 
lowing in   order  by  brigades,  made  the  scene  a  nov- 


FIRST    RHODE    ISLAND    LIGHT    ARTILLERY.  23 

elty  to    most   of  us  inexperienced   in  such  sights. 

Towards  night  of  the  twelfth  the  fleet  arrived  at 
Slocum's  creek,  about  eighteen  miles  from  New 
Berne,  and  came  to  anchor.  The  night  was  dark 
and  stormy,  but  at  eight  o'clock  next  morning  the 
sun  shone  out,  and  at  nine  o'clock  the  infantry  com- 
menced landing,  which  was  accomplished  by  trans- 
ferring the  men  from  the  steamers  and  sailing  vessels 
to  the  launches,  which  were  taken  in  tow  by  tugs, 
each  tug  taking  long  lines  of  these  boats.  At  a 
signal  the  tugs  steamed  as  near  to  the  shore  as  they 
could  float,  the  momentum  gained  by  the  launches 
sent  the  barges  forward  until  they  grounded,  when 
the  men  jumped  into  the  water,  generally  about 
waist  deep,  and  waded  ashore.  During  the  landing 
the  gunboats  steamed  slowly  up  the  river,  shelling 
the  woods,  but  they  received  no  reply  to  their  shots. 

The  schooner  Crocker,  with  a  part  of  the  battery 
on  board,  in  attempting  to  enter  the  creek  ran 
aground,  and  although  tugs  were  brought  to  our 
assistance,  night  overtook  us  stuck  in  the  mud. 
Early  on  the  morning  of  the  fourteenth  the  schooner 
floated,  and  as  the  forces  on  shore  had  advanced,  we 


24    ORGANIZATION  AND  SERVICE  OF  BATTERY  F, 

were  towed  3ome  two  or  three  miles  further  up  the 
river,  when  we  made  a  landing  similar  to  that  at 
Hatteras,  viz :  by  jumping  the  horses  overboard  and 
towing  them  ashore,  and  rafting  the  guns  and  cais- 
sons until  the  small  boats  grounded,  then  drawing 
the  pieces  out  by  hand. 

This  method  of  landing  a  light  battery  was,  to 
say  the  least,  slow  and  tedious  business ;  but  the 
men  worked  with  a  will,  and  soon  material  enough 
was  on  shore  to  fit  out  a  section,  which,  with  First 
Lieutenant  George  W.  Field  in  command,  was  started 
for  the  front.  Early  in  our  work  the  sounds  of  battle 
were  heard  from  the  front,  and  we  knew  that  we 
were  needed  there.  After  the  guns  and  horses  for 
the  section  were  on  shore,  it  was  tedious  and  vexa- 
tious work  getting  in  condition  to  take  the  road ; 
the  harnesses  were  mixed,  and  it  was  impossible  to 
get  the  particular  harnesses  for  the  horses  they 
fitted,  without  losing  too  much  time ;  but  after  some 
delay  the  section  was  pronounced  ready,  and  started 
without  rations  either  for  men  or  horses.  I  was  sent 
with  the  command  as  corporal  or  gunner  of  the  left 
piece.      We  traveled  as  rapidly  as  possible  in  the 


FIRST   RHODE   ISLAND   LIGHT   ARTILLERY.  25 

direction  of  the  fighting,  the  sounds  of  which  grew 
more  and  more  distinct  as  we  neared  the  front,  but 
it  was  not  our  fortune,  good  or  bad,  to  take  part  in 
the  battle  of  New  Berne,  as  we  reached  the  battle- 
field just  after  the  enemy  was  routed. 

Although  the  Rhode  Island  battery  did  not  become 
engaged  at  this  battle,  Rhode  Island  troops  were 
there,  and  historians  have  recorded  the  bravery  and 
valor  of  the  Fourth  and  Fifth  Regiments,  and  have 
accorded  to  them  the  honor  and  credit  nobly  won  on 
that  field. 

The  battle  of  New  Berne  was  fought  about  four 
miles  south  of  the  city.  The  following  description 
of  the  works  occupied  by  the  enemy  during  the 
battle,  is  taken  from  General  Foster's  report,  dated 
New  Berne,  March  20th,  1862  : 

"The  breastwork  thus  entered  by  the  victorious  Union  army, 
was  a  truly  formidable  barrier  —  a.  series  of  well  planned  works 
extending  in  a  continuous  line  for  two  miles  and  a  half.  It 
commenced  on  the  river  with  Fort  Thompson,  the  most  power- 
ful of  the  works  erected  by  the  confederates,  mounting  thirteen 
32-pouuder  guns,  four_  of  which  bore  directly  on  the  advancing 
union  lines.  From  this  the  breastwork  extended  for  a  mile  and 
a  quarter  to  the  railway  track,  whence  the  defences  were  pro- 
3 


26    ORGANIZATION  AND  SERVICE  OP  BATTERY  F, 

longed  for  an  equal  distance  by  rifle  pits  and  detached  intrench- 
ments,  in  the  form  of  curvettes  and  redans,  terminated  by  a  two 
gun  battery.  The  breastwork  was  mounted  with  two  complete 
field  batteries,  besides  several  small  pieces  of  heavy  artillery,  and 
manned  by  about  six  thousaud  men." 

Our  section,  making  but  a  short  halt  at  the  battle- 
field, pushed  on  towards  New  Berne  and  the  retreat- 
ing enemy,  arriving  at  the  river,  opposite  the  city,  to 
find  the  bridges  destroyed  and  no  means  of  crossing. 
It  was  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  both  men  and  horses 
having  been  without  food,  excepting  three  hard 
crackers  per  man  issued  in  the  early  morning, 
since  the  evening  before,  Lieutenant  Field  ordered  a 
bivouac  for  the  night,  and  sent  a  detail  out  to  forage. 
The  detail  returned  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  at  mid- 
night we  enjoyed  a  hearty  meal. 

An  incident  occurred  during  the  latter  part  of  this 
march,  trivial  in  its  character,  but  illustrating  the 
demand  made  upon  us  by  the  inner  man.  The  can- 
noneers were  mounted  on  the  boxes,  the  section 
moving  along  quietly,  all  seemingly  intent  upon 
their  own  thoughts,  when  several  of  the  men  discov- 
ered at  the  same  moment  a  corncake  lying  in  the 


FIRST   RHODE   ISLAND   LIGHT   ARTILLERY.  27 

road  ;  simultaneously  a  dash  was  made,  and  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  the  section  would  pass  over  it, 
and  that  it  would  be  well  seasoned  with  sand,  we 
were  as  eager  for  a  piece  of  that  corncake  as  our 
children  would  now  be  for  fruit  cake.  I  succeeded 
in  getting  a  bite  and  pronounced  it  good,  only  wish- 
ing there  was  more  of  it. 

The  remainder  of  the  battery  was  landed  as  rap- 
idly as  possible  and  bivouacked  that  night  on  the 
battle-field,  joining  us  the  next  morning. 

Sunday,  March  16th,  1862,  the  battery  entered 
New  Berne,  crossing  the  Trent  river  about  three 
miles  from  its  junction  with  the  Neuse  river,  and 
took  possession  of  a  boarding-house  as  quarters  for 
the  men,  a  dwelling  for  the  lieutenants,  a  dwelling 
for  the  captain,  a  store  for  the  quartermaster  and 
commissary  departments,  a  large  stable  for  the  hoi'ses, 
and  smaller  buildings  for  mess  room,  guard  house, 
etc.,  all  situated  on  Broad  street,  near  the  "junc- 
tion." 

Soon  after  our  arrival  we  were  detailed  for  duty 
as  cavalry.  The  infantry  outposts  were  established 
about  seven  miles  from  the  city,  and  we  were  ex- 


28         ORGANIZATION   AND    SERVICE   OF   BATTERY   P, 

pected  to  perform  vidette  duty  and  scour  the 
country  beyond.  The  first  scout  was  made  Friday, 
March  twenty-first,  the  party  consisting  of  about 
twenty-five  men  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Pope. 
They  went  about  fifteen  miles  in  the  direction  of 
Trenton,  North  Carolina,  but  discovering  no  enemy, 
returned  to  quarters.  We  were  then  sent  out  in 
squads  of  three  men  and  a  non-commissioned  officer, 
to  patrol  the  different  roads  leading  into  the  city. 
Each  squad  remained  out  three  days,  when  it  was 
relieved. 

A  number  of  casualties  and  hairbreadth  escapes 
occurred  during  this  service.  Among  them  were 
the  following : 

On  the  first  scout  mentioned  above,  Sergeant  Ben- 
jamin H.  Draper  received  a  severe  wound  in  the  leg 
from  a  kick  by  a  horse,  necessitating  an  amputation 
at  the  thigh.  The  operation  was  performed  May 
eighth.  He  died  May  27th,  1862,  at  fifteen  minutes 
past  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  at  the  Academy 
Green  Hospital,  New  Berne.  Sergeant  Draper  had 
won  the  respect  and  esteem  of  both  officers  and 
men,  and  his  death  under  such  circumstances  cast  a 


FIRST   RHODE   ISLAND   LIGHT   ARTILLERY.  29 

gloom  over  the  battery,  and  it  was  long  before  the 
men  ceased  to  think  and  speak  of  him. 

Corporal  Benjamin  F.  Martindale  was  killed  May 
2d,  1862,  on  the  Trent  road,  about  seven  and  a  half 
miles  from  New  Berne.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
was  in  charge  of  a  squad  patroling  this  road,  and 
while  on  duty  discovered  the  enemy's  cavalry  riding 
towards  our  outpost.  In  obedience  to  orders  he 
immediately  returned  and  reported  to  the  officer  in 
command  of  the  infantry  outpost  that  the  enemy  were 
scouting  in  our  front.  That  officer  did  not  credit  the 
report,  but  implied  that  the  corporal  had  been  fright- 
ened by  some  non-combatant  resident  of  that  vicinity. 
The  corporal  replied,  "I  will  prove  that  to  you,  sir," 
and  wheeling  his  horse,  rode  back  to  his  death,  as 
when  near  the  place  where  he  first  discovered  the 
enemy,  he  was  shot  and  instantly  killed. 

Private  Henry  Love,  while  on  duty  near  Deep 
Gully,  about  eight  miles  from  New  Berne,  was  se- 
verely wounded  in  the  head  by  a  sabre  cut.  His 
life  was  saved  by  the  nerve  and  steady  aim  of  an 
infantryman,  who  shot  the  rebel  through  the  heart 
as  he  was  about  to  strike  another  blow.     Private 


30         ORGANIZATION    AND    SERVICE    OF    BATTERY  F, 

Love  had  been  patroling  the  road  and  was  pursued 
by  a  half  dozen  cavalrymen,  who  did  not  stop  until 
their  leader  was  killed  as  he  was  passing  the  infantry 
picket. 

Private  Philip  L.  Bassett  was  taken  prisoner  March 
31st,  1862,  while  on  duty  near  Deep  Gully,  and  was 
paroled  about  the  twenty-ninth  of  the  next  May. 
His  life  was  saved  by  a  testament  that  he  carried  in 
his  breast  pocket,  a  rifle  ball  passing  nearly  through 
the  book. 

Private  George  H.  Fuller  was  taken  prisoner  while 
on  duty  near  the  junction  of  the  Trenton  and  Pollock  - 
ville  roads,  April  nineteenth,  and  was  paroled  on  the 
tenth  of  the  next  May. 

There  were  many  other  hairbreadth  escapes  from 
death  or  capture  while  the  battery  was  performing 
this  special  duty.  The  rebel  cavalry  in  our  front 
had  learned  that  we  were  not  cavalry,  and  that  we 
knew  but  little  about  cavah-y  service,  and  towards 
the  last  of  our  performing  that  duty  became  very 
bold.  But  a  surprise  was  in  store  for  them.  Early 
in  May,  1862,  the  Third  New  York  Cavalry  arrived 
in  New  Berne,  and  on  the  seventeenth  of  May  the 


FIRST   RHODE   ISLAND    LIGHT   ARTILLERY.  31 

artillerymen  were  relieved  from  further  picket  duty 
by  that  regiment.  From  April  14th  to  May  18th, 
1862,  Lieutenant  Thomas  Simpson,  one  sergeant  and 
thirteen  privates,  were  on  detached  service  at  New- 
port Barracks,  near  Beaufort,  North  Carolina,  per- 
forming duty  as  cavalry.  From  this  time  until  July 
25th,  18G2,  the  battery  remained  in  camp  performing 
the  usual  routine  of  duty. 

Saturday,  June  fourteenth,  two  guidons,  one  for 
parade  and  one  for  drill,  were  presented  to  the  bat- 
tery by  friends  of  Captain  Belger.  A  full  account 
of  the  presentation  was  published  in  the  New  Berne 
Progress.  John  McConkey,  Esquire,  made  the  pre- 
sentation speech,  to  which  Captain  Belger  appro- 
priately responded.  The  battery  paraded  in  full 
regulation  uniform  and  gave  a  street  drill  on  the 
occasion. 

I  think  it  was  very  rare  that  a  volunteer  battery 
secured  the  full  regulation  light  artillery  uniform ; 
that  is,  the  horse  hair  plume,  the  cord  over  the 
shoulders,  the  rosette  on  the  breast,  and  tassels.  I 
never  happened  to  see  another  during  my  term  of 


32         ORGANIZATION   AND   SERVICE   OF   BATTERY   F, 

service,  and  never  saw  ours  but  once  after  we  left 
•  North  Carolina. 

The  Fourth  of  July,  1862,  was  observed  by  the 
troops  at  New  Berne  in  a  spirited  manner.  Bells 
were  rung  morning,  noon  and  night ;  the  command 
made  a  street  parade  in  the  morning,  at  the  end 
of  which  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  read 
before  each  regiment  and  battery ;  at  twelve  o'clock, 
noon,  a  national  salute  of  thirty-four  guns  was  fired 
from  Port  Totten,  and  also  from  the  gunboats  ;  at 
six  o'clock,  evening.  Belger's  Battery  fired  a  salute 
of  thirty-four  guns,  and  with  the  burning  of  tar 
barrels  during  the  evening,  the  celebration  at  New 
Berne,  of  the  nation's  anniversary,  closed.  Dinner 
was  made  the  main  feature  of  the  day  with  Battery 
F,  the  bill  of  fare  being  roast  beef,  roast  lamb, 
boiled  chicken,  boiled  ham,  plum  duff  with  whiskey 
sauce,  pies  and  hard  crackers.  Before  going  to 
dinner,  whiskey  punch  was  served  to  all  freely,  the 
supply  having  been  made  in  a  barrel.  The  issue 
of  rations  of  this  character,  although  very  rarely 
served,  had  a  good  effect  upon  the  men. 

Our  service  in  North  Carolina  was  more  like  that 


FIRST    RHODE    ISLAND    LIGHT    ARTILLERY.  33 

of  troops  in  garrison  in  time  of  peace,  than  in  the 
field  in  time  of  war,  and  much  attention  was  paid  to 
the  appearance  of  men  and  material.  A  street  parade 
and  drill  occurred  almost  weekly.  This  drill  cannot 
be  found  in  the  "  Instructions."  On  these  parades 
the  formation  was  column  of  sections,  cannoneers 
mounted,  and  woe  to  the  poor  fellow  who  did  not  sit 
straight,  with  folded  arms,  for  on  the  return  to  quar- 
ters the  guard  house  and  bread  and  water  would  be 
his  reward.  The  parade  was  usually  performed  at  a 
trot,  and  the  principal  movement  was  to  "  In  Bat- 
tery "  as  if  we  were  entirely  surrounded  by  an 
enemy,  and  was  executed  by  the  captain  giving  the 
order  just  as  the  centre  section  arrived  at  the  inter- 
section of  a  cross  street, "  Action  front,  right,  left  and 
rear !"  The  officer  commanding  the  right  section 
would  command  "  Action  front !"  the  centre  section 
"  Action  right  and  left !"  sweeping  the  cross  street 
in  each  direction,  and  the  left  section  "  Fire  to  the 
rear — in  battery  !" 

Any  one  acquainted  with  light  artillery  service 
will  readily  see  that  executed  at  a  trot,  in  the  streets 
of  a  city,  by  a  battery  equipped  in  full  regulation 


34    ORGANIZATION  AND  SERVICE  OP  BATTERY  F, 

uniform,  the  movements  were  exciting,  to  say  the 
least.  I  think  if  the  light  batteries  of  our  militia 
could  introduce  some  of  those  movements  at  their 
trainings,  it  would  serve  to  increase  the  interest  of 
their  men  and  the  respect  of  many  who  now  ridicule 
everything  connected  with  the  militia. 

The  first  organized  raid  into  the  country  with 
which  Battery  P  was  connected,  left  New  Berne 
Friday,  July  25th,  1862,  at  about  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  The  next  day,  Saturday,  we  passed 
through  the  village,  I  am  not  sure  that  they  did  not 
call  it  a  city,  of  Trenton,  North  Carolina,  meeting 
with  but  slight  opposition,  the  few  retreating  cav- 
alrymen attempting  unsuccessfully  .  to  burn  the 
bridge  before  the  town.  We  bivouacked  the  night 
of  the  twenty-sixth  at  McDonald's  plantation,  the 
orders  being  to  sleep  by  the  guns ;  but  a  terrific 
thunder  shower  passing  over  early  in  the  evening, 
or  rather  remaining  with  us  most  of  the  night,  sleep- 
ing on  the  ground  was  out  of  the  question.  I  re- 
member just  before  daybreak  finding  a  board,  which 
furnished  a  comparatively  dry  bed,  upon  which  I 
had  an  hour's  sleep.     Returning  by  a  different  route, 


FIRST   RHODE   ISLAND    LIGHT   ARTILLERY.  35 

we  passed  through  Pollockville,  North  Carolina, 
Sunday,  the  twenty-seventh,  the  cavalry  skirmish- 
ing some  as  we  entered  the  town,  and  arrived  at  our 
quarters  at  about  ten  and  a  half  o'clock  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  twenty-seventh.  No  casualties  in  the 
battery. 

Early  in  August,  the  post  of  the  provost  guard  on 
Pollock  street,  near  the  rear  of  our  quarters  and  in 
close  proximity  to  post  number  two  of  our  battery 
guard,  had  been  fired  upon  several  nights  in  succes- 
sion, between  midnight  and  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  one  or  two  men  had  been  wounded- 
All  efforts  to  discover  the  party  firing  had  been  in 
vain.  Buildings  had  been  searched  and  everything 
in  the  shape  of  firearms  confiscated,  but  still  at  this 
same  locality,  and  about  the  same  hour  of  the  morn- 
ing, the  report  of  the  gun  and  the  whiz  of  the  bullet 
would  be  heard.  The  night  of  the  fourteenth  of 
August  was  extremely  warm,  so  much  so  that  the 
guard  detail  of  the  battery  not  on  post  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  sleep,  and  nearly  all  were  lounging  around 
the  guard  quarters  hunting  for  a  breath  of  air,  as  it 
were.     The  time  for  the  firing  had  arrived,  and  all 


36         ORGANIZATION   AND   SERVICE   OF   BATTERY   F, 

were  listening  for  the  shot.  Soon  the  report  and 
whiz  were  heard,  and  about  five  minutes  later,  some 
one  saying  "  Open  the  door,  quick,  quick."  Follow- 
ing the  direction  of  the  sound,  a  citizen  was  discov- 
ered standing  at  the  door  of  a  house  nearly  opposite 
our  quarters,  waiting  to  be  admitted.  The  circum- 
stance was  immediately  reported  to  the  battery 
Officer  of  the  Day,  Lieutenant  Pope,  who,  gaining 
admission  to  the  house,  arrested  the  man.  He,  of 
course,  denied  all  knowledge  of  the  shooting,  but 
claimed  that  he  had  just  returned  from  fishing.  He 
was  turned  over  to  the  Provost  Marshal,  placed  in 
jail  to  await  a  trial,  but  was  either  released  or  es- 
caped, and  disappeared  from  the  city.  Those  most 
interested  in  the  matter,  the  soldiers  required  to 
perform  duty  in  that  vicinity,  were  satisfied  he  was 
guilty,  as  after  his  arrest  there  was  no  more  shoot- 
ing at  that  post. 

This  incident  illustrates  very  fairly,  I  think,  the 
amount  of  dependence  to  be  put  upon  the  asser- 
tions of  the  natives  that  they  were  union  men,  and 
were  always  opposed  to  the  war.  This  man  was 
one  of  the   garrison   of  Fort  Macon,  captured   and 


FIRST    RHODE  ISLAND    LIGHT    ARTILLERY.  37 

paroled  a  short  time  previous,  and  often  told  me,  at 
his  house, — I  was  at  his  house  several  weeks  suf- 
fering from  an  attack  of  typhoid  fever, — about  being 
forced  into  the  confederate  army  against  his  will, 
and  that  he  intended  to  enlist  in  the  union  army 
under  General  Burnside,  and  I  had  all  confidence  in 
him  up  to  the  time  of  his  arrest. 

Saturday,  September  twenty-seventh,  about  noon, 
a  courier  came  dashing  into  the  city  with  the  report 
that  our  outpost  at  Deep  Gully  had  been  attacked. 
The  battery  was  in  the  midst  of  the  regular  weekly 
preparation  for  Sunday  morning  inspection ;  the  har- 
nesses were  being  thoroughly  washed  and  cleaned, 
having  been  taken  apart  for  that  purpose,  and  we 
were  in  a  very  unfavorable  condition  for  immediate 
service.  About  three  o'clock  "  boots  and  saddles  " 
sounded,  and  in  twenty  minutes'  time  everything 
was  in  complete  order,  and  the  battery  hitched  up 
and  on  the  road  for  the  front.  Arriving  at  Deep 
Gully  we  learned,  as  was  often  the  case,  that  there 
had  been  no  necessity  for  our  march,  as  only  a  few 
of  the  enemy's  cavalry  had  appeared,  and  they  retired 
after  a  few  shots.    The  battery  immediately  returned 


38    ORGANIZATION  AND  SERVICE  OF  BATTERY  P, 

to  quarters,  and  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  were 
as  quiet  as  if  no  alarm  had  taken  place. 

October  twenty-ninth,  an  expedition  into  the  coun- 
try, under  command  of  General  J.  G.  Foster,  started 
from  New  Berne,  and  Battery  P  was  assigned  to  the 
command.  The  troops  arrived  at  Washington,  North 
Carolina,  the  next  day,  and  remained  until  November 
second,  when  the  march  was  again  resumed.  It  very 
soon  became  evident  that  the  enemy  would  resist 
this  advance.  At  Little  Creek  rifle  pits  had  been 
constructed  and  a  stand  was  made.  Battery  F  was 
ordered  into  position  and  opened  fire,  the  engage- 
ment lasting  about  an  hour.  The  enemy  then  re- 
treated about  a  mile  to  Rawles'  Mills,  where  another 
engagement  took  place.  At  the  two  engagements 
Battery  F  expended  about  three  hundred  rounds  of 
ammunition.  General  Foster,  in  his  official  report 
of  these  actions,  says : 

"  The  engagement  [at  Little  Creek]  lasted  one  hour,  when  the 
enemy  being  driven  from  their  rifle  pits  by  the  effective  fire  of 
Bulger's  Rhode  Island  Battery,  retired  to  Rawles'  Mills,  one  mile 
further  on,  where  they  made  another  stand  in  a  recently  con- 
structed field-work.  Belger's  Battery  and  two  batteries  of  the 
Third  New  York  Artillery  were  immediately  ordered  into  posi- 


FIRST   RHODE   ISLAND    LIGHT   ARTILLERY.  39 

tion,  and  after  a  spirited  engagement  of  half  an  hour,  succeeded 
in  driving  the  enemy  from  their  works  and  across  a  bridge, 
which  they  burned." 

During  these  two  engagements  the  battery  sus- 
tained no  loss. 

From  the  monthly  return  of  the  battery  for  No- 
vember, 1862,  the  following  memorandum  of  the 
route  and  distance  traveled  by  this  expedition  is 
copied: 

"The  battery  left  Washington,  N.  C,  on  a  reconnoissance, 
November  2d,  1862,  and  engaged  the  enemy  at  Little  Creek,  N.  C, 
twice,  same  day;  dislodged  the  enemy  and  bivouacked  for  the 
night.  Resumed  the  march  at  sunrise  November  3d,  and  arrived 
at  Williamston,  N.  C,  at  11  A.  M.  Left  Williamston  at  3  P.  M. 
and  arrived  at  Hamilto.n  November  4th,  at  3  P.  M.  Left  Ham- 
ilton at  6  P.  M.  and  bivouacked  within  five  miles  of  Tarboro, 
N.  C,  November  oth.  Resumed  the  march  at  sunrise  November 
6th,  on  the  return,  and  reached  Hamilton  same  day.  Left  Ham- 
ilton November  7th,  and  arrived  at  Williamston  same  day.  Left 
Williamston  November  9th,  and  arrived  at  Plymouth,  N.  C, 
November  10th.  Embarked  on  steamer  Eagle  same  day,  and  left 
for  New  Berne,  N.  C,  at  which  place  the  battery  arrived  on  the 
12th  of  November,  1862.     Distance  369  miles." 

On  the  night  of  November  eleventh,  New  Berne 
was  the  scene  of  intense  excitement,  caused  by  the 


40    ORGANIZATION  AND  SERVICE  OF  BATTERY  F, 

appearance  of  the  enemy  before  the  city.  The 
pickets  were  driven  in,  and  many  thought  the  morn- 
ing would  witness  the  confederate  forces  again  occu- 
pying the  place.  The  expedition  which  had  been 
absent  since  October  twenty-ninth  had  not  been 
heard  from,  and  the  comparatively  small  force 
remaining  to  defend  the  city,  caused  a  feeling  of 
uneasiness  which  could  not  well  be  concealed.  Of 
course  there  were  natives  who  secretly  hoped  for 
the  capture  of  the  entire  post,  but  from  some  cause, 
(perhaps  they  knew  better  than  those  in  the  city  the 
nearness  of  the  expedition  on  its  return),  the  enemy 
contented  themselves  by  simply  driving  in  the  out- 
posts, and  disappeared  as  suddenly  as  they  came. 

Early  in  December,  1862,  an  expedition  under 
command  of  General  Foster  was  organized  for  the 
purpose  of  destroying  the  Wilmington  and  Weldon 
Eailroad  bridge  across  the  Neuse  river,  near  Golds- 
boro,  N.  C,  to  which  Battery  F  was  assigned. 
Leaving  New  Berne  on  the  eleventh  of  December, 
the  command  arrived  at  the  bridge  near  Kinston 
on  the  fourteenth,  where  a  lively  engagement  took 
place,   resulting   in   the   rout  of   the    enemy,    they 


FIRST    RHODE   ISLAND   LIGHT   ARTILLERY.  41 

attempting  unsuccessfully  to  burn  the  bridge.  The 
nature  of  the  ground  where  this  battle  took  place, 
known  as  the  Battle  of  Kinston,  was  such  that  artil- 
lery could  not  be  used  to  advantage,  consequently 
Battery  F  was  assigned  to  the  reserve  force.  From 
General  Foster's  report  of  the  engagement,  I  copy 
the  following  relating  to  the  batteries : 

"  My  artillery  (three  batteries)  I  posted  in  a  large  field  on  the 
right  of  the  road  and  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  in  rear  of  line 
of  attack,  the  only  position  they  could  be  placed  in.  I  then 
ordered  Colonel  Stevenson's  Brigade,  with  Belger's  Rhode  Island 
Battery,  forward.  The  Twenty-fourth  Massachusetts  supported 
this  battery." 

I  suppose  this  refers  to  about  the  time  the  enemy 
began  to  fall  back.  As  I  remember,  the  battery 
moved  to  the  front  at  a  trot,  and  took  position  cov- 
ering the  bridge  as  the  enemy  retreated.  Remaining 
here  but  a  short  time,  we  crossed  the  bridge,  ad- 
vanced through  the  town  and  bivouacked  for  the 
night  in  a  cornfield  about  a  half  mile  beyond. 

The  next  morning,  December  fifteenth,  the  com- 
mand recrossed  the  bridge  and  continued  the  march 
towards   Goldsboro,  arriving  at  Whitehall  ferry  on 


42    ORGANIZATION  AND  SERVICE  OF  BATTERY  F, 

the  sixteenth,  where  a  short  but  sharp  engagement 
took  place.  The  enemy  had  burned  the  bridge  across 
the  Neuse  at  this  point,  and  Avere  on  the  opposite 
bank  in  some  force.  General  Foster  states  in  the 
official  report,  "  this  being  the  direct  road  to  Golds- 
boro,  I  determined  to  make  a  strong  feint,  as  if  to 
rebuild  and  cross."  Battery  F  first  took  position  on 
a  hill  overlooking  the  river,  but  after  firing  a  few- 
rounds,  moved  down  to  the  low  land  on  the  river 
bank  and  came  into  action  at  short  range.  Nothing 
could  be  seen  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  ex- 
cept trees.  The  enemy's  artillery  was  soon  silenced, 
and  the  engagement  became  a  battle  of  a  light  bat- 
tery against  sharpshooters,  the  battery  being  in  an 
open  field  without  cover,  and  the  sharpshooters  en- 
tirely covered  by  the  thick  woods  which  lined  the 
bank  of  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  The  ammu- 
nition used  was  shell  and  case  shot,  with  fuses  cut  at 
two  seconds.  The  engagement  lasted  about  an  hour, 
resulting  in  a  loss  to  the  battery  of  two  privates 
killed,  one  corporal  wounded  by  musket  ball  through 
the  thigh,  one  private  wounded  by  musket  ball 
through  the  hand  near  the  wrist  while  thumbing  the 


FIRST   RHODE   ISLAND    LIGHT   ARTILLERY.  43 

vent,  causing  the  loss  of  the  hand,  and  <a  number  of 
horses  killed. 

During  the  afternoon  of  the  sixteenth  the  com- 
mand continued  the  march  towards  Goldsboro,  and 
on  the  seventeenth  the  objective  point  was  reached. 
Here  the  battery  was  divided,  the  right  and  left 
sections  —  four  ten-pounder  Parrotts  —  occupying  a 
position  near  the  railroad  track  and  opening  fire  on 
the  bridge  and  vicinity,  while  the  centre  section — ■ 
two  twelve-pounder  howitzers — was  stationed  a  short 
distance  to  their  right,  on  a  hill  overlooking  a  large 
open  field,  the  Third  Massachusetts  Infantry  being 
in  support  of  this  section. 

The  bridge  could  not  be  easily  captured  or  crossed, 
aud  volunteers  to  fire  it  were  called  for  from  the 
Ninth  New  Jersey  Infantry.  From  the  large  num- 
ber offering,  two  were  selected,  who,  after  being 
supplied  with  fuses,  went  forward,  accomplished 
the  task  and  returned  to  their  command  in  safety. 
While  the  two  men  were  performing  the  extremely 
difficult  and  hazardous  undertaking  at  the  bridge, 
supported  by  their  own  regiment,  a  portion  of  the 
force  was  busily  engaged  in  destroying  the  railroad 


44         ORGANIZATION   AND   SERVICE   OP   BATTERY   F, 

track.  Several  miles  were  torn  up  and  the  rails 
rendered  useless  by  being  thrown  upon  hot  fires  fed 
by  the  sleepers  or  ties.  The  object  accomplished, 
and  a  large  and  apparently  increasing  force  appear- 
ing in  our  front,  the  return  march  was  ordered. 

Battery  F  was  assigned  to  the  rear  guard,  but 
before  withdrawing  from  our  positions,  the  enemy 
appeared  in  our  front  and  made  an  attack.  They 
formed  line  of  battle  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  occupied 
by  the  howitzer  section,  and  charged  ;  but  they  did 
not  advance  far,  for  being  in  an  open  field,  our  men 
were  able  to  work  the  guns  to  the  best  advantage, 
and  made  such  fearful  havoc  among  them,  shooting 
down  their  colors  several  times,  that  they  left  the 
field  in  great  haste,  and  appeared  to  be  very  much 
demoralized.  This  was  the  first  time  the  battery 
had  been  charged  upon,  and  being  able  to  see  the 
effect  of  their  shots,  the  men  were  naturally  much 
elated  over  the  result. 

The  casualties  in  the  battery  during  the  day  were  : 
First  Sergeant  A.  M.  Massie  severely,  and  Sergeant 
I.  N.  Gage  and  Private  C.  C.  Burr  slightly  wounded. 
First  Sergeant  Massie  was  wounded  as  he  was  about 


FIRST   RHODE   ISLAND    LIGHT   ARTILLERY.  45 

to  sight  a  gun.  He  had  just  taken  a  field  'glass  from 
his  eyes,  when  he  was  struck  by  a  piece  of  shell, 
completely  shattering  the  glass,  tearing  off  three 
fingers  and  half  of  his  right  hand,  and  the  flesh  from 
the  under  side  of  the  arm  to  the  elbow,  leaving  the 
index  finger  and  the  thumb  unhurt. 

As  before  mentioned,  Battery  F  was  detailed  as  a 
part  of  the  rear  guard,  and  here  occurred  an  incident 
that  came  near  proving  a  serious  matter  for  us.  In 
taking  the  position  last  occupied  we  crossed  what 
appeared  to  be  a  small  brook,  the  water  running 
about  ankle  deep,  but  when  we  recrossed  in  retir- 
ing, the  brook  had  swollen  to  be  a  small  river,  the 
water  running  about  waist  deep.  The  cause  of  the 
sudden  increase,  as  we  afterwards  learned,  was  the 
opening,  by  the  enemy,  of  a  dam  above  us,  and 
probably  another  half  hour  in  that  position  would 
have  caused  us  serious  trouble. 

As  is  always  the  case  in  an  engagement,  many 
narrow  escapes  took  place.  I  will  mention  but  one, 
which  seemed  to  me  to  be  of  the  very  narrowest. 
Private  A.  B.  Spencer,  at  the  battle  of  Whitehall,  on 
the  sixteenth  of  December,  was  hit  in  the  stomach  by 


46         ORGANIZATION   AND   SERVICE   OF   BATTERY   F, 

a  spent  ball,  which  caused  him  to  suddenly  double  up, 
but  nothing  serious  resulted,  and  the  next  day,  at 
Goldsboro  Railroad  bridge,  the  same  man  lost  a  piece 
of  his  pants,  from  underneath  his  knee,  by  a  fragment 
of  shell  from  the  enemy's  guns.  In  neither  case  was 
the  skin  broken. 

The  battery  arrived  at  its  quarters  in  New  Berne 
at  about  six  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  December 
twentieth,  having  traveled  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles. 

The  alterations  and  casualties  to  December  31st, 
1862,  left  the  aggregate  of  enlisted  men  in  the  bat- 
tery exactly  the  same  as  at  the  first  muster,  and  the 
commissioned  officers  one  less,  as  follows : 

Commissioned  officers,  three  resigned,  viz :  Cap- 
tain M.  G.  Moies,'  First  Lieutenants  C.  H.  Pope  and 
George  W.  Field ;  two  appointed,  viz :  Captain  James 
Belger  and  Second  Lieutenant  P.  C.  Smith.  Second 
Lieutenants  Simpson  and  Arnold  were  commissioned 
First  Lieutenants  in  place  of  Pope  and  Field  resigned. 

Enlisted  men ;  three  killed,  viz  :  Corporal  Benja- 
min F.  Martindale  and  Privates  James  L.  Gavitt  and 
William  Nesbit ;   ten  died,  viz :    Sergeant  Benjamin 


FIRST   RHODE   ISLAND   LIGHT   ARTILLERY.  47 

H.  Draper,  Privates  John  E.  Bartlett,  Henry  H.  Bax- 
ter, William  M.  Davis,  Job  Hazzard,  William  B. 
Healey,  Alonzo  C.  Horton,  Reuben  E.  Larkin,  John 
McCombe  and  Jonathan  R.  Nye  ;  three  discharged 
for  promotion,  viz :  Sergeants  Elmer  L.  Corthell,  Peter 
C.  Smith  and  Frederick  Chase ;  discharged  for  dis- 
ability, one  sergeant,  two  corporals  and  thirty-one 
privates ;  transferred  to  other  commands,  one  ser- 
geant and  one  private  ;  deserted,  one  private  ;  total 
loss,  fifty-three.  Judging  from  the  number  dis- 
charged for  disability,  I  conclude  the  surgical 
examination  of  recruits  could  not  have  been  very 
rigid.  In  my  own  case  and  that  of  two  others  who 
enlisted  at  the  same  time,  there  was  no  examination 
whatever. 

The  gain  for  the  same  time  was,  one  private  en- 
listed in  Virginia,  and  two  squads  of  recruits  from 
Rhode  Island,  numbering  respectively  twenty-seven 
and  twenty-five  men  ;  total  gain,  fifty-three. 

The  wounded  were  as  follows :  First  Sergeant 
Alexander  M.  Massie,  at  railroad  bridge  near  Golds- 
boro,  December  17th,  1862;  Sergeant  I.  N.  Gage, 
same    date    and   engagement ;    Corporal  George  C. 


48         ORGANIZATION   AND   SERVICE   OP   BATTERY   F, 

Manchester,  at  Whitehall,  December  16th,  1862; 
Privates  John  Butterworth,  same  date  and  engage- 
ment ;  Calvin  C.  Burr,  at  railroad  bridge,  near  Golds- 
boro,  December  17th,  1862;  Henry  Love,  while  on 
picket  duty  near  New  Berne,  North  Carolina,  March 
31st,  1862,  and  George  B.  Puller,  while  on  same 
duty,  April  19th,  1862. 

The  strength  of  the  battery  December  31st,  1862, 
as  appears  upon  the  monthly  return  of  that  date, 
was  four  officers,  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
enlisted  men,  and  one  hundred  and  eleven  horses, 
with  four  ten-pounder  Parrott  guns  and  two  twelve- 
pounder  howitzers,  caissons,  etc.,  complete. 

The  health  of  the  men  at  the  close  of  the  year 
1862  was  very  good.  Six  men  were  absent  sick, 
three  of  whom  were  wounded  during  the  engage- 
ments in  December,  and  four  men  were  present  sick. 

January  1st,  1863,  found  us  in  good  condition  for 
effective  service,  requiring  only  one  officer  and 
twelve  enlisted  men  to  fill  the  roll  to  the  maximum. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00032742827 

FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


